Service Brakes Problems of Chevrolet Colorado - part 1

While reversing out f a parking spot, the brake pedal locked up and wouldn't move and I kept rolling. I let off and pushed the pedal again and they worked. Started my truck the next morning and "brake system failure" appeared on the dash.

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2020 Chevrolet Colorado 2. 5l, approximately 81,500 miles. I experienced a sudden loss of power brake assist. There was no warning noise associated with the failure; the brake pedal became extremely hard and required substantially greater pedal pressure to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by an independent professional mechanic. Inspection found that the brake booster vacuum pump itself was not the primary source of the failure. The failure was at the engine exhaust camshaft interface that mechanically drives the vacuum pump. The camshaft drive was damaged and no longer properly operated the vacuum pump, resulting in loss of brake vacuum assist. This is not normal brake-pad or rotor wear. The hydraulic brakes remained functional, but without the vacuum assist the pedal effort increased dramatically, creating a significant braking safety concern. The vehicle has been removed from normal use pending repair. I am reporting this because failure of an engine component that drives the brake vacuum pump can cause sudden loss of power brake assist.

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The brake booster vacuum pump broke and caused my brakes to stop working properly while driving on the highway. There were zero warnings from the vehicle I went to press on my brake and it was stuck I luckily was able to push it down enough to safely stop.

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Break control module failure breaks needed to be pressed all the way to the floor to slowly stop. Advisor at dealership drove the vehicle into the shop from the parking lot and confirm breaks were not working properly. All lights and messages appeared when starting the vehicle.

Vacuum pump for brakes failed and damaged the whole engine to be replaced because of faulty vacuum pump design.

While driving, the vehicles internal computer system seized, completely shutting down and restarting itself over the course of 30 seconds. During and after this event, the brakes, power steering, and restraint system all became inoperable. Brakes failed to engage and power steering did not function. The issue resolved itself after turning the vehicle completely off and back on again. Brakes, power steering, and the restraint system have operated off and on over the past week since the event happened.

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Coupling on vacuum pump broke off while in motion. Pieces fell near engine. Camshaft, vacuum pump and brake booster will need to be replace. Vehicle mileage is at 65124 miles. No reason to have such a failure so early.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the engine seized. The contact stood on the brake pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured camshaft. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump fractured the camshaft, and the camshaft was fractured in half. The contact was informed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,500.

After shifting to drive the vehicle had no brakes. A week or so earlier the check engine light came on. Messages on the screen said brake system failure along with other messages. Took to dealership, an update was installed. Last Wednesday engine light reappeared with the same messages but didn’t have time to return it to the dealership so parked it until today. Today was the brake failure. Returned to dealership, they replaced the battery and said the brake issue is fixed. I’m not convinced this fixed the issue and believe this could get someone seriously injured or killed.

The brake booster vacuum pump failed catastrophically while driving, resulting in a sudden, dangerous loss of power braking assist and a rock-hard brake pedal. Upon inspection by a mechanic, the pump's internal failure violently sheared and destroyed the engine's exhaust camshaft, requiring a complete camshaft tear-down and replacement. This is a severe mechanical defect causing both immediate highway safety hazards and internal engine destruction.

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Both rear calipers have become frozen or stuck, causing the brakes to seize and not work correctly. This happened around 53,000 miles. There was a burning rubber smell as well as the tire/brake temp was 5 times the normal. This created a severe driving hazard.

I took my truck in to the dealership for a recall on the faulty radiator hose and told them that I had a break sensor warning pop up on my screen. Today, I was informed that the break pads and sensor are damaged, the pads are worn out and that the rotors are damaged and need turned. I barely have 20,000 miles on this truck that I bought brand new! I was then informed that the warranty expired on the breaks at 7500 miles and that I need to pay about $600 to have the breaks fixed! I paid almost $50,000 for this truck and the breaks are already bad!!!??? I did a search online and found that many, many people are having this very issue, and in fact my own brother got rid of his 2023 Colorado for a break issue. Gm is ignoring a real safety issue here! just like they ignored the faulty radiator hose seal issue that I took this truck back in for 3 times, (before gm sent a recall letter out for-they finally admitted there was a problem!) car forums are loaded with people complaining about the breaks and all are saying gm is ignoring the problem. I tried calling gm to complain and was told "sorry, nothing we can do". This is bs. They need to stand behind their product and fix it at their expense.

I was driving along the highway exit ramp when I went to brake; the brake pedal was stiff, and the vehicle wouldn't stop. I had to put my full body weight into it, and that’s when the car came to an abrupt halt. I nearly crashed into the car in front of me. I took it to the bomnin Chevrolet dealership, and the service advisor informed me that the vehicle had logged a fault code or something similar. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. Prior to the incident, there were no on-screen indicators, warnings, or warning lights. It was only after the brake failure that a message appeared on the screen—along with the wrench symbol—reading "brake assist service. ".

Intermittent total loss of power steering assistance while driving at speed, accompanied by the immediate illumination of the traction control and stabilitrak warning indicators on the dashboard. The loss of power steering creates a sudden and severe handling hazard. This safety issue has occurred more than 15 times since this vehicle was purchase used in December of 2025. A diagnostic scan reveals specific diagnostic trouble codes: c0545-00 (steering wheel torque sensor hardware failure), c0460-5a (steering wheel angle sensor plausibility), u0420-42 (invalid data received from pscm), and c0280-00. The power steering also intermittently returns to normal functionality after the vehicle sits completely powered off, indicating a thermal or electronic hardware failure within the internal torque sensor of the steering gear assembly. This specific failure occurred most recently at 76,143 miles on VIN 1gcgtce38g1146466 (manufacture date: 10/1/2015; original sales date: 4/1/2016). This is the exact component failure and safety hazard described in gm recall #15595 (NHTSA campaign #16v054) for the 2015 model year. Furthermore, despite this vehicle falling well within the mileage limits of gm special coverage n182182190, this specific VIN is excluded (per a vih request to mac haik Chevrolet service desk with my VIN) from the coverage program for an identical hardware failure, posing an unresolved and dangerous safety risk on 2016 models.

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Brake assist suddenly went out. No warning lights what so ever. Happened thankfully when pulling into my driveway at slow speed. Had to stand on the brake pedal to get stopped. If this would have occurred at interstate speeds. It would have been bad.

On September 4, 2026, I experienced an extremely serious and frightening braking failure while driving my 2020 Chevrolet Colorado 2. 5l. I was driving my granddaughter to school and was pulling into the school's carpool/drop-off area at approximately 20 mph. This was an especially dangerous location because children, parents, vehicles, and school personnel were in the immediate area. As I attempted to slow and stop the vehicle, the brake pedal suddenly became extremely hard and the vehicle would not stop normally. The dashboard displayed “service brake assist,” and the check-engine light illuminated. I pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle continued moving. Realizing that the normal brakes were not stopping the truck, I engaged the emergency/parking brake. The emergency brake slowed the vehicle somewhat, but even then the vehicle did not come to a complete stop. I ultimately had to place the vehicle in park to get it stopped. Fortunately, I was traveling at a low speed and was able to prevent the vehicle from striking a child, pedestrian, another vehicle, or other property. My granddaughter was also inside the vehicle at the time. This was an extremely frightening situation that could very easily have resulted in catastrophic injuries or death. The fact that this occurred in a school carpool/drop-off area surrounded by children makes the seriousness of this failure especially concerning. There was no reasonable warning that I was about to lose normal braking assistance. I am reporting this incident because I believe this vehicle may have experienced a serious safety-related defect involving the braking/brake-assist system. I am requesting that this incident be documented and that NHTSA investigate whether other owners of 2020 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles, particularly those equipped with the 2. 5l four-cylinder engine, have experienced similar sudden losses of brake assist or braking ability.

While driving home multiple lights,messages and sounds came on the dashboard. I stepped on the brake and there were no brakes. I put vehicle in neutral and pumped brakes a few times. I was not traveling that fast so the vehicle stopped before I hit the person in front of me. I drove 10 mpg with my hazards on to the nearest gas station. I called chevy service and they sent a tow truck n/c to bring to the dealer.

Brake boost vacuum pump failure. While approaching a traffic light that was red, I applied the brakes. The pedal was very hard to press and required me using both feet to bring the vehicle to a stop. Stopping distance was much longer than normal. I removed the vacuum pump and found it had seized and broke apart.

Complete loss of electronic power steering capability while new teenage driver was traveling at high rate of speed. Loss of power steering and stabilitrak traction control warning indicators on dash. Issue that invoke a safety recall in previous year model vehicle (gm recall #15595 & gm special coverage n182182190) but is being ignored by manufacturer for my 2016 model. Odb2 fault codes confirms u0420-42 and c0545 indicating exact same issues still occurring in 2016 vehicles despite recall due to this safety issue in 2015 models.

Iba sobre el freeway a 60 millas y DE la nada el freno se puso duro no respondían me pasé a los carril DE la orilla y fui metiendo freno DE mano poco a poco bendito dios me puse a salvo! la agencia me dijo que fue el booster ahora tienen que verificar que no halla fragmentos DE metal en el motor!.

While driving on the freeway, I experienced a sudden issue with the vehicle’s braking system. The brake pedal became extremely stiff and difficult to press, and the brake assist stopped functioning. I was still able to apply the brakes, but it required significantly more force than normal to slow and stop the vehicle. Prior to this incident, I had also noticed an issue where the engine did not shut off normally after removing the key. The engine continued running briefly before shutting off with a noticeable rumble/shudder. I do not know whether the two issues are related, but I am including this information because it occurred before the brake-assist failure and may be relevant to diagnosing the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 mph, the engine revved without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact stated that while turning onto an exit ramp, the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle; however, there was resistance to the brake pedal, and an excessive amount of pressure was needed to depress brake pedal to stop the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was informed of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that failure might cause the complete engine failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

While driving my 2020 Chevrolet Colorado through [xxx], the truck began having difficulty accelerating. As I exited the highway and turned into a gas station, the truck suddenly lost power. The steering became extremely difficult, and I lost normal brake assist. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and I had to apply extreme force to stop the truck and avoid crashing into a wall at the gas station. Fortunately, no collision occurred. The truck was towed to ed corley Ford in [xxx] because I was stranded in a remote area with very limited options. They diagnosed a failed/broken vacuum pump and told me replacing it should make the truck operable so I could drive it home to [xxx]. I authorized the repair. After replacing the vacuum pump, they told me they started the truck and heard an abnormal sound. They shut it off, and when they tried to restart it, the truck would not start. They wanted to perform additional diagnosis, but I declined and had the truck transported back to [xxx] for evaluation by a Chevrolet dealership. Huffines Chevrolet lewisville inspected the truck. Their technician removed the camshaft position sensor and used a borescope to inspect the camshaft. They documented that the camshaft is damaged at the end where it connects to the vacuum pump and stated the actuator pin was most likely bent due to the vacuum-pump failure, damaging the camshaft and causing it to be slightly out of time. I have also been informed of engine damage. The truck remains inoperable and is currently available for inspection. I am concerned this is a safety defect because the vacuum-pump failure resulted in a sudden loss of normal brake assist while I was driving and was followed by camshaft/engine damage. I am asking NHTSA to investigate this failure and similar Chevrolet Colorado complaints. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Brake vacum pump experienced a catastrophic failure. I was unable to step on the break because the break pedal was hard. I ran thru a red light. I was told the brake vacume pump shattered & pieces of metal went into my engine.

I was driving went to stop brake petal went to the floor and the truck did not stop. So I put it in low gear and got the truck to stop. The truck is at the dealer they keep giving me the run around so I call gm and open a case there going to get back to me . Brake light,aps,brake systemfailure all lit up on dash and truck only had 134 mile.

Was on a trip and on the highway home the service break lights came on. By the time we got home(less than 200 miles) the breaks where scraping the calipers. Truck only had 25,586 miles on it when they picked it up to take to the shop. Dealership had to replace the break pads, calipers and rotor on the front driver side.

VIN: [xxx]. 2019 chevy Colorado, ~115,000 mi. Failed component: vacuum pump failed internally; debris damaged the exhaust camshaft. Pump is cam-driven with no shear pin, so seizure cuts brake assist and sends metal debris into the engine. Truck/parts are at chapman Chevrolet, tempe az, available for inspection. Safety risk: on xxx, brake pedal suddenly lost assist while my son merged onto xxx from [xxx]. Pedal effort/stopping distance increased with no warning - high risk of collision merging into highway traffic. Confirmed by dealer: yes. Chapman Chevrolet confirmed vacuum pump failure and camshaft damage, consistent with gm TSB 21-na-268 (drive-lug failure). Other inspections: dealer only so far; not yet by gm, police, or insurance. Available if needed. Prior symptoms: none. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the sudden brake assist failure on 7/1/26. This is a known failure mode on gm's cam-driven vacuum pump (TSB 21-na-268; special coverage xxx covers 2014-2017 trucks/suvs but not this 2019 Colorado despite same design). Requesting investigation into whether this is an unaddressed defect on 2018-2019+ Colorado/canyon 2. 5l trucks, and whether recall/extended coverage is warranted. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Component that failed: brakes. I was pulling into a parking spot at low speed and the brake pedal was suddenly extremely difficult to depress, almost impossible. It felt as if a brick were under the pedal but there was no obstruction. I was able to stop only because I was already going so slow. Safety of myself and others was at risk because I was almost unable to stop the vehicle. If I had been going any faster I don't believe I would have been able to without crashing into an obstacle. Vehicle is currently at a service shop but issue has not been verified or repaired as of today. When restarting the vehicle, the engine stuttered and started making odd sounds, and wouldn't idle properly. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms at all prior to failure. When I entered the parking lot it was working normally and when I turned to enter a parking spot the brakes suddenly just failed.

While driving downhill nearing a stop sign my wife went to apply the brakes to stop and all she had was an extremely hard brake pedal. She panicked that she “no brakes. ” she was only going about 20 mph, and was able to stop the vehicle but it took an extraordinary amount of effort to do so. Had she had to make a sudden stop for a child, another person, or something else, she would not have been able to stop without negative consequences including possible death. There were no warning signs, vehicle pulled out of driveway and brakes were normal. Less than 10 seconds later no more power brakes. The vehicle had the vacuum pump seize which eliminated the power boost and the pump is operated by the exhaust camshaft which also got damaged and needs replaced. Chevy dealership estimated the repair at $2,600. Upon researching the vacuum pump, this is a common failure on multiple gm vehicles resulting in sudden brake loss. The vacuum pump should have been designed with a shear pin, so that if it fails the camshaft does not get damaged. Had the vacuum pump been properly designed and it was the only failing part, the repair cost would be $500 versus $2,600. Also, there should have been a temporary backup system so you would not lose power boost.

While driving on the parkway, the engine revved, and then the brakes became hard as a brick. The truck was unable to be stopped. There were no warning lamps or indications there was a problem, it happened suddenly and immediately. Other drivers' and my own safety was at risk because I could not stop the truck. Here is the diagnosis from the gm service center where it was towed "after the removal of the valve cover, the tech found the pump in pieces, and the end of the exhaust camshaft was damaged, as presented in the photos. The quote attached depicts all that is being replaced with this repair. " the is a know and acknowledged gm defect that has affected well over 3 million vehicles to date. There was a recall issued for some models, but not the Chevrolet Colorado. There are many reports online of other Colorado owners having the exact brake vacuum pump failure, resulting in damage to the camshaft. There is also a class action lawsuit filed in michigan in early 2026, involving the same brake vacuum pump failure, for some of the models that were not included in the recall. This is an extremely dangerous mechanical failure that gm is aware of.

The contact's husband owns a 2025 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that after exiting a car wash tunnel and parking the vehicle on the side of the car wash building, the vehicle continued to roll forward at a high speed without warning. The contact used both feet and excessive force on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle; however, the vehicle continued to roll forward. The vehicle ran over the parking pillar and crashed into a brick column attached to the building. The vehicle continued to roll forward after the crash and eventually stopped once it rolled over the car wash road indentation. The contact reversed out of the car wash indentation and called her husband for assistance. After her husband arrived at the scene; the vehicle was driven to the residence without any further issues. The vehicle remained at the residence and was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 111,817.

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Component: drivetrain, brake, and engine management systems repeatedly fail in a coordinated pattern, with multiple warning indicators activating simultaneously and sudden unintended deceleration occurring without warning. Vehicle available for inspection. Safety risk: most recent failure occurred at highway speed with family including passengers in the vehicle. Without warning, the vehicle decelerated abruptly while multiple dashboard warnings activated at once. Sudden deceleration at highway speed creates immediate risk of rear-end collision from following traffic and loss of vehicle control. Prior dealer confirmation: yes. Curry Chevrolet (scarsdale, NY) has had the vehicle in service for the same defect category on multiple prior occasions, including stays of over a week on at least two visits. The dealer has not permanently resolved the issue — symptoms have now recurred at sixth time. An additional early service visit at the same dealer was not documented with a repair order; I retain contemporaneous text messages establishing that visit occurred. Other inspections: inspected only by curry Chevrolet to date. Gm customer assistance engaged (case #xxx). No police, insurance, or independent inspections. New case has been filed with gm, linked to the previous (case #xxx). Next service visit will be at a different authorized Chevrolet dealer for an independent diagnostic. Warning indicators: yes. In the most recent incident, multiple warning lamps and system alerts activated simultaneously at the moment of deceleration, with no advance warning. Prior incidents showed the same multi-system warning pattern, consistently without predictive indicators. Vehicle is a 2026 Chevrolet Colorado, VIN [xxx], delivered January 2026 with 2,209 miles on the odometer at delivery. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact called on behalf of a family member who owns 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but was stiff, requiring the driver to forcefully depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the contact's auto repair shop, where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump was fractured and damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed that there was no related recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was not contacted. 180,203.

Vacuum pump seized, causing loss of power assist on brakes. This happened as I was approaching an intersection to make a right-hand turn. When I press down on the brake pedal it felt hard, like it was locked up. After pressing down on it with both feet, I was able to slow the vehicle down enough to turn out of the intersection. If this event happened when there was another vehicle in the intersection or approaching the intersection on the side street that I was turning onto, it would have led to a collision. Not being able to slow down adequately, I had to swing wide in the turn. This incident happened at a relatively slow speed. If it had happened at highway speeds it could have been catastrophic. There was no warning light prior to the incident the check engine light did not come on until after the incident. The pump seizure caused the connecting coupling between the exhaust cam and pump to shatter. The damage was extended to the exhaust cam and valve cover and leaving metal fragments in the engine. The local Chevrolet dealer has given me an estimate for the repair of over $2400.

I am reporting two brake-system failures involving my 2025 Chevrolet Colorado. Both involved brake-fluid leakage from the left-rear brake caliper, including a recurrence after that caliper had already been replaced under warranty. On may 27, 2026, after the truck had just been driven home, we loaded it for a camping trip with our granddaughter. When we started the vehicle to leave, multiple warning lights appeared and the truck had very little braking capability. The Chevrolet dealer documented dtc c05b0 and found that the driver's-side rear brake caliper had separated and was leaking brake fluid from the actuator side. The dealer replaced the left-rear caliper (gm part #13537065), added brake fluid, bled the system, and road-tested the vehicle. On October 19, 2026, approximately five months later, the truck displayed a "service parking brake" warning. The dealer documented dtcs c060b and c2a21 and found brake fluid leaking through the left-rear caliper into the parking-brake actuator. The dealer again replaced the left-rear caliper with the same gm part #13537065 and also replaced the affected parking-brake actuator (gm part #13513581). I am concerned because the replacement caliper experienced another brake-fluid leak only five months after the first failure. The first incident resulted in very little braking capability, and we were fortunate it became apparent in our driveway rather than while driving. I am reporting this because of the serious safety risk of recurring brake-fluid leakage and diminished braking. I am aware NHTSA is investigating brake issues involving Chevrolet Colorado vehicles. I do not know whether these failures are related and am providing the dealer findings, dtcs and part numbers so NHTSA can make that determination.